Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-08
DOWN TO DEATH.
HOW MEN ARE DECOYED IN THE
NAME OF CHARITY.

A Detective Tells Why Persons Are Re
ported Missing and Why Bodies Arc
| Case.
''BFhat becomes Of the people who are re-
ported as missing?" an old detective was
asked by reporter at police headquarters.
We'll, that is a hard question to answer.
Some leave the country to escape their
families, and others are killed in dives about
the city,
DO many return after several years.
'Ycs. l have known cases where peopls
have been missing for twenty years. where
their wives have married again and they
have returned TO surprise, much more than
delight, those who at first nourned their
loss. How some people disappear vas e1-
planned to NE several years ago IN a case
which never became public. a young man
who was studying Tor the clergy was stand
ing one night in front Of Waliack's theater.
waiting Tor the time when the performance
| ahould bSgin, when young girl shiyering
III & tina dress ard q shawl, which scarcely
. covered her shoulders, touched him Oh the
arm and begged him for Gods sake to give
her some money, as her mother was starry
Ing ard she had no means b. which to OBJ
tain food for her The gentleman told the
girl that it WIS against rule he had made
ever TO give money to people on the street
The girl looked ut him with q pitiful ex-
preston. and begged him, if he did rot be-
EeYe her story, 10 como TO the house where
she lived, which was not far away, and gee
for himself if the story she had told him OF
the starvation and want OF her family YES
not true.
TOUCHED WITH PITY.
''Touched By the girls pathetic look the
young man decided to follow her She took
him around the corner OF Thirteenth street.
nearly TO Avenue 4, to a hou=e with 40
blinds in the windows, with shutters tun!-
bling from their fastenings, and with Il bat
tered front door She took him up one
flight OF stairs 10 room which was utterly
bare Of furniture except one broken down
bed, which stood IN Il corner. On a nantel
piece s. uttered Il tallow candle, which only
gave light enough to show the deep dark
ness of the corners.
''.5ho told him she would 90 into the next
room and tell her mother that kind
stranger had come to see her While she
was going size asked him 20 sit On the bed,
which was the only seat she had to offer
The young man. Mortified at such poverty,
and never thinking of any evil results 10
himself, seatad himself on the edge OF the
bed Scarcely had ho done 50 when two
arms reached out from under it and seized
him b. the legs. With all his force he
could not keep himself from being dragged
under He threw himself bacI, ana at
tempted to grasp the edge OF tie bed, bat in
the position in which he was be could 60
I,,-t
DRAGGED downward by tie powerful arms
''As his hand slipped from one hold il the
bed to the other they happened TO touch the
heavy walking stick which he carried. As
a last resort he seized the cane and with all
his strength thrust it under the bed. The
heavy iron ferule With which the cEd OF tho
cane was loaded, came in contact with some
thing SOFT. 4 horrible curse filed the room.
With desperate energy the yOuns man
again and again thrust the cane into the
darkness under the bed. Slowly the wise
like grip of the hands which held his legs
relaxed. lie made one final and desperate
effort and found himself free. He rushed
downstairs and from the house.
LAUGHED AT FIN.
''Wken he reached the corner, he thought
that, d,Sbevcled and hatless as be vas. il
was impossible for hin to go homo. Seeing
a policeman on the next block he went TO
him and told him of the experience be had !
had. The Off :er laughed at him and insin-
uated that he had better go home and take !
nothing more 10 drink. But when ne /
found the young man was really in ear /
nest, he called for help and at once returned /
to the house which the young man pointed (
out as the one in which lie had been as
saaitei When they Knocked at Tho door T.